Ghost Grizzlies

feddoc · Mar 6, 2015

Anyone here read it?

Pretty good book about the last Grizzlies in Colorado. I hunted some of that area in the 70s.

http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Grizzlies-great-still-Colorado/dp/0981658415

schoolhousegrizz · Mar 7, 2015

LAST EDITED ON Mar-07-15 AT 09:21AM (MST)[p]I read it. Decent book but this author is anti hunting. Never did find any conclusive evidence of grizzlies. Did you ever see grizz sign in the 70's?

feddoc · Mar 8, 2015

Nope, never saw sign.

cosmic_cowboy · Mar 8, 2015

I saw a grizz in northern NM in 1968 it was feeding at a garbage dump we had for the ranch... and also saw tracks in the snow on Brazo Peak above Chaves Creek in 1985...so who knows...they still mite be a few in the remote areas of the south west.
CC

BeanMan · Mar 8, 2015

My Wife's Aunt was married to the guy who killed the last grizzly known in Colorado up by La Garita.

feddoc · Mar 8, 2015

>I saw a grizz in northern
>NM in 1968 it was
>feeding at a garbage dump
>we had for the ranch...
>and also saw tracks in
>the snow on Brazo Peak
>above Chaves Creek in 1985...so
>who knows...they still mite be
>a few in the remote
>areas of the south west.
>
>CC
What ranch? My dad worked a bunch of them in Northern NM/Southern CO from the 30s until the 50s. TO, Philmont, Trinchers, Heck (now Moreno East, I think)...maybe a few others.

kilowatt · Mar 8, 2015

Fred...
My Wife's Aunt was married to the guy who killed the last grizzly known in Colorado up by La Garita.

Fred was that in the late 1970's? There was an Outfitter with a Dr. archery hunter he was guiding up in the Wilderness north of Pagosa Springs then. The story was in Outdoor Life. The F&G tried to say there were no GRIZZ in COlO and he said will they were wrong. He killed the GRIZZ after it attack him by getting in between the Dr hunter the GRIZZ. The grizz knocked and attacked him and he was able to grab a arrow and when the GB came back again, the outfitter jammed the arrow thru the neck. The Dr. had to run for help. Long story short, it was a sow so yea, there are still or were still some in the remote areas of the higher wilderness. Don't remember the guides name as that was close to 40 years ago.

Brian
http://i44.tinypic.com/es7x8z.jpg[/IMG]

feddoc · Mar 8, 2015

LAST EDITED ON Mar-08-15 AT 09:11PM (MST)[p]>Fred...
>My Wife's Aunt was married to
>the guy who killed the
>last grizzly known in Colorado
>up by La Garita.
>
>Fred was that in the late
>1970's? There was an
>Outfitter with a Dr. archery
>hunter he was guiding up
>in the Wilderness north of
>Pagosa Springs then. The
>story was in Outdoor Life.
> The F&G tried to
>say there were no GRIZZ
>in COlO and he said
>will they were wrong.
>He killed the GRIZZ after
>it attack him by getting
>in between the Dr hunter
>the GRIZZ. The grizz
>knocked and attacked him and
>he was able to grab
>a arrow and when the
>GB came back again, the
>outfitter jammed the arrow thru
>the neck. The Dr.
>had to run for help.
> Long story short, it
>was a sow so yea,
>there are still or were
>still some in the remote
>areas of the higher wilderness.
> Don't remember the guides
>name as that was close
>to 40 years ago.
>
>Brian
>http://i44.tinypic.com/es7x8z.jpg[/IMG]

I knew him, but not well.

La Garita; I go back to that tiny town every year. Killed my best elk on the Northern edge of the LaGarita wilderness on the last day of the season in 1996.

His attack/kill was quite a ways south, if I recall correctly. I'll have to go back and read the book again to pinpoint the location.

It may be that I have met your wife's Aunt.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/05/23/man-recounts-a-fight-for-life-with-colorados-last-grizzly/

kilowatt · Mar 8, 2015

http://wisemangrizzly.com/

Ed Wiseman

Brian
http://i44.tinypic.com/es7x8z.jpg[/IMG]

BeanMan · Mar 8, 2015

Brian,

I just asked my Wife about her relation. It was her Mom's cousin who was married to Ed, her name was Vivien and was from Hotchkiss. They had two kids together and divorced.

cosmic_cowboy · Mar 9, 2015

LAST EDITED ON Mar-09-15 AT 06:38AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Mar-09-15 AT 06:36?AM (MST)

The ranch where I saw the tracks was Chaves Creek I was working as an Elk guide at the time. The one that was killed I think was near Cromo CO. and I think it was around 1980.Not far from where I saw the tracks.The Ranch dump where I saw the live bear was a guest ranch The Lazy H 3 mile north of Red River NM and about 3 miles from what is now the Valle Vidal
CC

cosmic_cowboy · Mar 9, 2015

To get back to the tread a GREAT Book if your interested is The Grizzly in the Southwest by David E Brown
CC

RidgeRunner76 · Mar 9, 2015

My father has a story that dates back to the mid to late 60's not far from LaGarita Wilderness as the crow flies or "grizz" roams as per topic.

My dad was a young teen at the time, but somewhere outside of Creede aways, they came upon a scene of some ranchers cows all bunched up in a pasture just outside the tree line. Finding it odd, my grandfather pulled over to take a closer look. Long story short they watched as a rather large bear circled the herd of cows trying to get closer amongst them. To this day my uncles, grandfather, and father all claim it was way too big to be a black bear. Its coloring and the way it carried itself also seemed different than the black bears they'd encountered over the years of backcountry fishing. Who's to say, but after reading this thread and checking on the books listed, could it possibly be the same bear or a predecessor thereof?

In recent times there has been reports of a griz sighted in the Cottonwood Pass area of CO. No hard evidence has been found with the CP&W having supposedly done a study. I don't think its out of the realm that CO is graced with a wandering bear now and again. The San Juan's are a mountain range I think could hold a few surprises yet and its been speculated for years that a griz or 2 may call it home due to reported sightings.

Interesting topic. Will see about getting a copy of the books listed.

schoolhousegrizz · Mar 12, 2015

I am absolutely fascinated with grizzlies and have read dozens of books and countless articles. I sure would love to hunt them in the lower 48 one day. You would think if there were any around in Utah or Colorado there would be a trail cam pic or evidence of their tracks. Still possible though.